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Taylor Swift wins another tight race at the top of the singles chart. The albums chart is topped by 5 Seconds Of Summer.

There was another close battle at the top of the singles chart. In Wednesday's update Taylor Swift’s The Fate Of Ophelia had a lead of under 300 over Golden by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast. This week they were joined by Raye’s Where Is My Husband. That was a few thousand behind, but the song had a physical release this week. It was unclear how many of those physical sales had been included in the update. By Friday, the top three were in the same order as on
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The KPop Demon Hunters and Taylor Swift battle it out for supremacy in the singles chart. Swift flies back to the top of the albums chart.

There was a close battle for the number one single this week between the two songs that have topped the chart for thirteen of the last fifteen weeks - Taylor Swift’s The Fate Of Ophelia and Golden by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast. In Monday’s update Swift was ahead by just over 100 copies. By Wednesday she had extended her lead to around 1,000 chart sales. By the end of the week Taylor Swift was still in front, so The Fate Of Ophelia returns to the top after
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The KPop Demon Hunters remain at the top of the singles chart. Florence + The Machine have the number one album.

After climbing back to the top of the singles chart last week HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast get another week at number one with Golden. This brings its total number of weeks at the summit to ten. However, it is still not the longest-running number one of the year. That title is still held by ASlex Warren’s Ordinary which had a total of 13 weeks at the top. That song is in the top twenty for a 39th week, climbing two places to number fourteen. In the separate S
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Taylor Swift loses her positions at the top of the charts to the Demon Hunters cast and Dave.

After three weeks topping the singles and albums charts, Taylor Swift has been toppled from the summit of both of them. Her successor in the singles chart is not exactly new. It is the song toppled by Olivia Dean the week before Swift took over. The third run at the top for Golden by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast brings its total up to nine weeks at the top. Taylor Swift's The Fate Of Ophelia slips to number two, one place ahead of Raye’s Where Is My Husband
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Taylor Swift holds on at number one in the singles chart, but faces stiff opposition at the top of the albums chart.

After topping both the singles and albums charts for the last two weeks, Taylor Swift started the week looking to perform the double for a third successive week. The midweek updates indicated that she would succeed in getting a third week at number one in the singles chart with The Fate Of Ophelia, but the albums chart was a different matter. Of her four previous number one singles, only Anti-Hero has spent longer at the top. Swift’s Opalite falls to number five this week. HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDRE
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Taylor Swift tops both charts for a second week, although her album sales take a hefty tumble.

With such a big lead in last week’s singles chart, it is no surprise that Taylor Swift gets a second week at number one with The Fate Of Ophelia. Her five UK number one singles have now spent a total of twelve weeks at the summit, almost as long as Alex Warren’s Ordinary managed earlier this year. While remaining at number one, Taylor Swift has not repeated last week’s feat of occupying the whole of the top three. She does, though, still have three songs in the top six which isn’t bad going. O
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Olivia Dean’s chart double is followed immediately by one for Taylor Swift as her new album tops the chart and provides the top three singles.

As referenced in last week’s commentary Taylor Swift released her twelfth studio album, The Life Of A Showgirl last week. Without the rule allowing only three tracks by a lead artist to appear in the chart simultaneously, the twelve tracks would probably occupy the top twelve positions. That would have knocked Olivia Dean right out of the top ten after climbing to number one last week. The treatment of album streams for chart purposes has always been a difficult issue to resolve. The most cont
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Olivia Dean scores a chart double with her first number ones in both the singles and albums chart.

For the first time in several weeks, there was a genuine contest at the top of the singles chart. Would Hunter/X and co get yet another golden week at the top or would the release of her album help Olivia Dean rise to the top? Olivia Dean’s Man I Need was at number one in the midweek updates. In Wednesday’s update it held a lead of a little over 3,500 chart units over Golden. There was, by contrast, never any real doubt about whether Olivia Dean’s album The Art Of Loving would top the chart. T
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KPop Demon Hunters and the cast of thousands remain at the top of the singles chart. Biffy Clyro get their fourth number one album.

HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast extend their run at the top of the singles chart with Golden to an eighth week. Three-quarters of the way through 2025, we have had eleven number one singles of varying quality. Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast are at number five with Soda Pop. Once again the Demon Hunters have thwarted Olivia Dean’s Man I Need which is at number two for a fifth week. This week’s
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Golden remains at the top of the singles chart. Ed Sheeran cruises to his ninth number one album.

HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast continue their reign of terror at the top of the singles chart as Golden grabs a seventh week at number one. Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast climb one place to number three with Soda Pop. The same combination are at number five with Your Idol. Olivia Dean’s Man I Need is at number two for a fourth successive week. Sabrina Carpenter’s Tears fall to number four. 
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Golden remains at the top of the singles chart for a sixth week. Sabrina Carpenter gets a second week at number one in the albums chart.

There is still no shifting HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast from the top of the singles chart as Golden stubbornly stays there for a sixth week. The KPop film is also responsible for Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast at number four with Soda Pop. Olivia Dean's Man I Need remains Golden’s closest rival for the top slot, remaining at number two. Sabrina Carpenter is still shedding her Tears at number
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KPop Demon Hunters get a fifth week at the top of the singles chart. Sabrina Carpenter gets a second number one album.

For the fifth week, Golden by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast sits at the top of the singles chart. Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast are down to number five with Soda Pop. Twenty years ago, another (much better) animated band were at number one in the form of Gorillaz with Dare. Talking of Gorillaz, they are actually in the top forty this week. The latest random song to re-enter the chart is their
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The KPop Demon Hunters film continues to dominate the top of the singles chart. Wolf Alice get their second number one album.

The dictionary definition of hell might well be attending a singalong screening of the KPop Demon Hunters film. Nonetheless, many people seem to have decided to put themselves through that particular form of torture. People who chose to stay at home and watch it on Netflix have contributed to making it the most-watched film of all time on the streaming platform. Meanwhile, the animated film continues its grip on the upper reaches of the singles chart. Golden by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI
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It’s another Golden week for K-Pop at the top of the singles chart. Tom Grennan gets his third number one album.

Golden, the single whose credited artists take nearly as long to say as the length of the song itself, spends a third week at number one. HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast, Old Uncle Tom Cobley and All had a healthy lead in Wednesday’s update so we may have to endure this for a while yet. The best single with the word Golden in the title is Suede’s Life Is Golden whose video was filmed in the Ukrainian town of Pripyat which has been abandoned since the Chernobyl d
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Suedehead2’s Substitute Chart Commentary 15th Aug 2025: Demon Hunters back slaying and Time Flies on albums.

Suedehead2’s Substitute Chart Commentary 15th Aug 2025: Demon Hunters back slaying and Time Flies on albums. This substitute European heatwave special comes from sweltering Gran Canaria. Other baking venues are available. Back up on top after the Chappell Roan surprise release dethroned them for one week, we find The KPop Demon Hunters clan still going Up Up Up with Golden. That makes 2 weeks on top for the movie cast, varied and many, with Soda Pop holding at 6 and Your Idol up to 7. Note sp
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Suedehead2’s Substitute Chart Commentary 8th Aug 2025: Chappell Roan grabs a 2nd number one.

Simon is still enjoying hols and in the charts Chappell Roan’s The Subway is her 2nd chart-topper while in albums Renee Rapp gets a first number one. The Subway dropped and immediately headed the chart updates during the week, Chappell Roan having quite the pent-up demand since her 2024 breakthrough as material as old as 5 years filtered through to mass popularity following Good Luck Babe finally getting her that break. Notably Pink Pony Club hit the UK top spot 5 years late, making The Subway
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Suedehead2 Chart Commentary 1st August 2025: The K‘s slay on singles & albums: KPop Demon Hunters and The K’s.

Suedehead2 Chart Commentary 1st August 2025: The K‘s slay on singles & albums: KPop Demon Hunters and The K’s. Justin Bieber’s Jack Johnson-ish ballad might have been expected to hang on to the top spot after just one week reigning, but Daisies was up against repeat viewings of the KPop Demon Hunters by little kids. Children have a voracious appetite to repeat play faves so I’m putting the climb to the top spot for Golden down to that. I look forward with dread to future pop quiz questions
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Suedehead2's replacement Chart Commentary: Justin Bieber gets an 8th Number One single and Alex Warren gets a first number one album

Justin Bieber gets an 8th Number One single and Alex Warren gets a first number one album Simon est en vacances, Bon Voyage Simon! Meanwhile in the UK, Dior almost hung on for a 3rd week at Number One (other fashion brands are available) for MK featuring Chrystal, though at the weekend a mere 800 copies were between Justin Biebers’ Daisies rising to 2 and Alex Warren’s Eternity entering at 3. In the event Justin scored his 8th number one with Daisies ten years on from his first and his first
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MK and Chrystal get a second week at the top of the singles chart. Wet Leg get their second number one album, beating a surprise release from Justin Bieber.

MK and Chrystal’s single Dior spends a second week at number one. Lewis Capaldi's Survive therefore remains the only 2025 number one to spend just seven days at the top. Only two other songs have been single-week number ones in the last twelve months. Sabrina Carpenter’s Manchild remains at number two. She has accumulated a total of fourteen weeks at number two to add to her 23 weeks at number one in the singles chart giving her a total of almost nine months in the top two since June last year
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MK and Chrystal win a tight race for number one as Lewis Capaldi fails to survive at the top. Oasis dominate the top of the albums chart as their reunion tour gets underway.

Regular readers will know, or will have guessed, that I write at least some of a week’s commentary before the chart is unveiled on Friday. In particular, I might write about the number ones in one or both charts. If the race is close, I have two main choices. I can write two alternative versions. When the chart was announced on a Sunday (and that last happened ten years ago), I would often write two alternative versions. That has become more difficult with the chart being unveiled on a weekday.
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Lewis Capaldi’s comeback single is his sixth number one. Lorde gets her first number one album. Both singers have benefitted from playing at Glastonbury last weekend.

Whatever you may think of Lewis Capaldi’s music, it is surely hard as a fellow human being not to sympathise with him for his experience at Glastonbury two years ago. His Tourette’s syndrome forced him to abandon his set. This year, he chose to play his first live show since then at the same venue and he wowed the audience in a way many of his critics may be reluctant to acknowledge. Oh, and his first cousin once removed, former Doctor Peter Capaldi, joined Franz Ferdinand for Take Me Out in a g
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Sabrina Carpenter returns to the top of the singles chart. Yungblud claims the number one albums slot.

After being dislodged from number one last week by the return of Alex Warren’s Ordinary, Sabrina Carpenter’s Manchild returns the compliment by going back to the top this week. Three of Carpenter’s number one singles have now returned to the summit after being toppled.  It used to be a rarity for songs to return to number one, but it has become more commonplace in recent years. However, an ABAB pattern (with songs alternating single weeks at number one) is still unusual. It last happened in 19
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Alex Warren gets an extra Ordinary week at the top of the singles chart. James Marriott has the number one album.

After it was replaced at number one last week, people might have thought that Alex Warren’s Ordinary had had its time at the top. The first signs that they were wrong came on Sunday when it was back at number one in the first update of the week. It is still there at the end of the week, giving it a thirteenth week at number one in total. It thereby creates another chart record. Its return to the top after an initial twelve week run shatters the record set by Frankie Laine’s I Believe way back in